A Number of Lives
by mahatiel
Summary: Guided through life and many battles, no one ever said what would happen once the heroes died. Soul Society was a given, but would a life there be able to bring justice and reward to the one they'd had in 'the Real World? The last of the original four has died and will be making their journey to find past friends and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo, Yo! I'm taking a crack at Bleach! Now I know the story is ended, as far as we know, but there are a few things that bothered me so I figured I'd attack one of em. This may not follow what happened exactly, mainly things that weren't explicitly clear in how they happened. Say deaths and such.**

 **Chapter's Song: in love with a ghost - i was feeling down, then i found a nice witch and now we're best friends**

" _I wish I could have had five different lives instead of one."_

Getting old wasn't for the weak.

What felt like eons ago, they had all been strong, incredibly strong; enough to fight Gods. In fact, they had fought Gods. Hollows, Arrancar, Fullbringers, Quincies.

Time is what laid them low.

 **Chapter 1**

Orihime sat in her rocking chair, an old crochet blanket upon her lap as her feet rocked. The sun had long set and yet she remained, in her chair, looking out the window at the night sky.

Somewhere, out there, her son and relatives were battling the hollows that continued to appear.

"Are you wishing you could be out there protecting them as you once did?" she turned her head to see Urahara standing in his usual stance against the wall. His eyes were visible beneath his hat, and the look he had in them saddened her. "I haven't visited in so long… its quite shocking to see you now."

"Humans do age, Mr. Kisuke." Orihime smiled, a weak, aged one, but a smile nonetheless. "We all can't be like you. Able to escape miraculous, deadly situations."

"Yes, well, I'm sure one day my time will come."

"You've lived over a thousand years at this point, I can't see that happening," she tried to chuckle, but only a wheeze like cough came from her chest. Too weak. She couldn't get out of the chair to greet him properly.

The man moved closer, crouching before her and gently placing a hand on her own. "You're the last one still here. Commendable, truly." He smiled a bit and looked out the window.

"Yes, I seemed to have faired better than they did, considering my abilities." Years past, she had lost her closest friends to age, and her soulmate 3 years prior. "I'm guessing this topic is why you're here, Mr. Kisuke." She gently held his hand between her own. Oh, how her hands were so withered compared to the vitality of his gigai. "Kazui isn't coming."

"No, he's not. I thought that would be a little too personal for him to help his own mother on to the afterlife," Urahara gently squeezed the elderly woman's fingertips.

"I'm glad…" Orihime didn't want her son to be burdened with the death of his mother. "So, you'll be the one to lead me to soul society then?"

"Yup, that I will. Are you scared?"

Was she?

The sky was dark with barely visible stars, but it wouldn't stay that way, the sun would rise and light it afire before it turned a beautiful blue. It was a difficult thing, getting old. Some people aged with their minds intact, their once trustworthy bodies betraying them with fragile prisons. Some lost their minds while their forms remained functional, and for the most part, strong. There were a myriad of ways that a person could be betrayed by life, but hers had been cliche; a strong mind and an aged body.

"I am afraid…" Urahara looked at her behind his fan. "I am afraid that when I go, I will end up like the people I met in Soul Society...the ones that never found their families or friends." Orihime felt her eyes tearing as she thought of that reality, of never seeing him again. "I can make new friends, but nothing will replace the ones I've had and lost." She smiled at the man, his form blurry against her tears that threatened to spill. "I am not scared of dying Mr. Kisuke, I'm scared of that possible future."

Urahara was silent, thinking in his own way, he had always been like that. It was comforting for her to know that even now, in this situation, he could still be the same. "I can't tell you how things have changed in Soul Society, but I can say that I think you'll be just fine, Mrs. Kurosaki." He smiled at her, but his hat was shielding his eyes.

"Yes. I'll be just fine," Orihime took another breath, it was harder to do so today, and resumed her rocking as she looked back out at the night sky. Far off in the distance, she could sense a hollow somewhere, and with it was the reiatsu of a Shinigami. "With everything I've done...I'll find him...again."

2


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter's Song: Peter Grundy - The Last of Her Kind**

" _Instead of one town, I could have been born to a family in five different ones."_

 **Chapter 2**

A sharp intake of breath that felt like life, fire, and ice. Orihime sucked it in as she blinked rapidly, blinding white light slowly taken over by fuzzy shapes and colors. The ringing in her ears was grinding down to a low buzz; birds chirping, tree limbs and leaves making whispers as they danced in the breeze.

She stood in a field, surrounded by grass and trees. It was beautiful, so serene.

Unable to contain it, she laughed and twirled beneath the cover of a nearby tree, sunlight speckling her skin and thin, white kimono.

"Oh...well look at that, my boobs are back!" Orihime laughed harder as she cupped her large, perky breasts in her hands. "These are pre-baby boobs, pre-old lady boobs!" In fact….she blinked and looked at her arms, her legs, and into the V of her kimono. "I'm….young again… I thought we were the age that we died…" Her body...it felt like her much younger body… somewhere between 16-19; the age when she'd visited Soul Society the most. "My hair is still short, huh." She tugged at a lock of her short hair that barely brushed her collar bone, it had been cut when the trial of moving had become difficult.

"Well, I bet Ichi-" her throat cut off, making her gag and swallow. "What in the world was that." Clearing her throat, she shook her head and massaged her chest. "Ok, well, on we get."

Not far on her right was a town, maybe an hours walk from her current spot. What district was she in? Was this a rural area or were the grounds leading into the Seireitei close by? She pondered as she walked, often losing her train of thought as her mind wandered.

It was a nice walk, warm and balmy weather, and it smelled clean. So different from the modern world that she had left.

"I hope I can find them soon…" Orihime muttered as she looked up at the fluffy clouds.

"Oye, miss, you there!" She blinked and looked up ahead, seeing a man in a plain grey kimono walking toward her. He seemed to be carrying a scroll, and his face was… exasperated? "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you!" Yup, annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know someone was waiting for me," she smiled apologetically.

"I greet all the new souls that come to this district and you didn't appear where you should have. Where were you?" he came to a stop in front of her and opened the scroll, sliding to a blank spot and taking out an ink pen.

"Ah.. uh, back there near those trees."

"I'm sorry, what?" he blinked at her, his face drawn down into a long scowl.

"Back there," she pointed.

"I…see...okay, well, anyway," he looked from the far off trees and back to her. "Name please."

"Ori-" her throat closed off and she coughed, thumping her chest with a fist as he eyed her with displeasure. "Oh I'm so sorry, its Ori-" Again her throat kept her from finishing.

"Yori?"

"No, its Ori-" But try as hard as she could, Orihime was unable to say her name.

"Well… you keep saying Ori...are you ok?" his frown was so severe and he was acting reluctant to continue being patient.

What in the world was going on… "Uh, sure, Yori."

"...So…. Yori it is then." he jotted it down. "Alright, I've registered your name and number. You will be residing in the 43rd District of South Rukongai. Keep heading into town and I'm sure there will be a family that will take you in. If you begin to feel any hunger pains please let me know, don't want you turning into a hollow."

She blinked, boy, did he speak so fast.

"Hollows, are evil spirits that kill people. Yes, people can die here in Soul Society. No this is not Heaven, it's called Soul Society, so I suggest throwing out any pre misconceptions of whatever religion you practiced in the human world. If you die here your spirit will join with millions of others and that'll be it until the multitude of spirits eventually culminate into a new spirit being and you are reborn in the human world." He rolled the scroll back up. "Any skills and abilities you may have had in your previous life may be useful to you here. The currency is called 'kan' and you can use your past experiences to help you make a living here." He tapped his lower lip with his pen and eyed her. "Can't recall if I've left anything out, what with all of your distracting coughing, so if you have any questions you can ask others here, or come find myself."

"Ah...okay, well thank you very much for all the help," Orihime replied with sincerity, but his scowl made her think he'd found her reply to be sarcastic instead. Great. "What happens if you turn into a hollow?"

"A shinigami will be summoned, or eventually, he or she will come out and kill it. Sending it back to its spiritual origins." Without a goodbye, he turned and headed back towards the village.

She watched him walk away and sighed, clasping her hands together as she rocked on her heels. "Well...sure wish I'd paid more attention when this place was explained to me."

3


End file.
